This invention relates to a lock piece mounting structure on a connector hood, and more particularly to a simplification of lock piece mounting structure on a connector hood.
In order to shield connectors from external noise signals, there have been many shielding methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a male connector 1 is accommodated in a metal hood 2 and grounded or earthed through a shield cable 3 connected to the male connector 1 so that the male connector 1 is shielded together with a female connector 4 connected to the male connector 1.
With such a connector having the metal hood 2, it is still required to prevent the male and female connectors from being disconnected inadvertently owing to external force. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1 the metal hood 2 is provided on both sides with lock pieces 5 made of a springy metal plate. Each of the lock pieces 5 is provided at its upper end with a lock spring piece 5a formed by folding the upper end upon it and at the lower end with a lock hook 5b. The lock spring pieces 5a exert spring forces upon surfaces of the metal hood 2 so that the lock hooks 5b are anchored onto the female connector 4. Consequently, the male connector 1 is locked to the female connector 4 fixed to a panel and the like. Reference numeral 5c denotes urging portions which are provided at opposite portions of the lock spring pieces 5a by means of a resin molding.
However, the hitherto used mounting structure for the lock pieces 5 above described is difficult to manufacture and assemble. In more detail, the lock pieces 5 are mounted on the metal hood 2 in the following manner. The metal hood 2 is formed with pin-through holes 2a by cutting, raising and rounding parts of the side surfaces of the metal hood 2 as shown in a perspective view of FIG. 2a. On the other hand, the lock pieces 5 are formed at central narrow portions with semicircular curved support portions 5d as shown in FIG. 2b. The support portions 5d are then positioned at center notches 2a' between the pin-through holes 2a of the metal hood 2 and support pins 6 are inserted through the pin-through holes 2a as shown in FIG. 2c. These operations are complicated and troublesome for manufacturers.
As the pin-through holes 2a of the metal hood 2 are very small, the cutting, raising and rounding of the parts of the metal hood 2 are very difficult, and at the same time as diameters of the semicircular curved support portions 5d of the lock pieces 5 are also small, the bending of the curved support portions 5d is difficult. In addition thereto, the positioning of the support portions 5d at the center notches 2a' between the pin-through holes 2a is also very difficult because the lock pieces 5 are subjected to force produced by the lock spring pieces 5a tending to expel the lock pieces 5 from the center notches 2a' in a direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2c. What is worse still, the insertion of the fine and small pins 7 into the pin-through holes 2a is also very difficult. Therefore, the production cost of this hitherto used structure unavoidably increases.